Michelle Matter, EdD brings more than 25 years of experience across government, higher education, and the nonprofit sector to the OPEN MINDS team as an Advisory Board Member.

In addition to joining OPEN MINDS, Dr. Matter is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the San Diego State University Center for Excellence in Aging & Longevity (CEAL). Her work centers on advancing community-based solutions that address the complex and evolving needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers.

Previously, Dr. Matter served as the Senior Policy Analyst at The SCAN Foundation. There, she analyzed and evaluated communication, policy, and programmatic issues related to aging, health, family caregiving, and long-term care efforts. Dr. Matter created communication products including research reports, issue briefs, and web content. She provided expertise skills in diversity, equity, and inclusion to drive systemic change in health and aging through participation the ASA RISE program.

Dr. Matter served as the Special Projects Director at ElderHelp of San Diego. In this position, Dr. Matter managed the government affairs, a nutrition program, and the Salesforce implementation. She also supervised the San Diego State Board Interns on the development of a year-long family caregiver project. She also wrote successful grant proposals for housing, care coordination, and food security.

Prior to this, Dr. Matter was the Director of Communications and External Affairs at Serving Seniors. While there, she wrote articles, blog posts, op-eds, fact sheets, grant proposals, and legislative updates. She managed communications and public affairs, including the creation of a quarterly magazine. She also developed advocacy strategies to promote aging policy at the local, state, and national level.

Dr. Matter holds a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership and a Master of Arts in Gerontology from the University of Southern California. Her doctoral dissertation was a promising practice study examining senior nutrition programs as a cost-saving intervention for Medicare. She also holds an MBA with a healthcare specialization and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, providing a multidisciplinary foundation for addressing policy, systems, and practice challenges in aging. Michelle also serves as a Board Member of the California Collaborative for Long Term Services and the City of San Diego Senior Affairs Advisory Board.